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5 of the best emperor size mattresses, beds, bedstead and divans - 2020
Emperor mattresses are huge, but there doesn't seem to be complete agreement on quite how huge they should be:
Perhaps the G8 will address this important issue soon, but in the meantime I would just make sure you get the tape measure out to avoid an awkward moment with the delivery company.
We've picked out five of the best emperor size mattresses and beds on the market in the UK, based on specification, value for money, reviews and awards:
- Posh brand Vispring sell 'emperor' mattresses which are 200cm x 202cm (about 6 foot 5 inches) and 'large emporer' mattresses which are 217cm x 215cm (about 7 foot)
- Award-winning pocket spring company Harrisons Spinks sells 'emperor' mattresses which are 200cm x 200cm
- John Lewis & Partners 'emperor' mattresses are 210cm x 210cm (just under 7 foot)
- Royal mattress supplier Hypnos seems to vary depending on where you buy it. Hypnos emperor beds at Land of Beds are listed as 215cm x 215cm (7 foot) whilst The White Company sell emperor mattresses which are 200cm x 200cm.
Perhaps the G8 will address this important issue soon, but in the meantime I would just make sure you get the tape measure out to avoid an awkward moment with the delivery company.
We've picked out five of the best emperor size mattresses and beds on the market in the UK, based on specification, value for money, reviews and awards:
1. Harrison Spinks Thornton British Wool Mattress (200CM X 200CM) - Various FIRMNESS options - £2050
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Harrison Spinks is a posh mattress company which makes mattresses under their own name and also for the John Lewis & Partners Natural Collection.
This emperor sized mattress certainly isn't one for our cheap mattress guide but you do get plenty of customisation options and a good specfication for your money. As you'd expect for this price, it has a high pocket spring count which means it will offer plenty of support. There are 5000 pocket springs in total, although that's more than you can fit onto one layer on a mattress so there will be more than one row of springs. It uses natural materials and has other signs of quality, such as hand side stitching which is manufacturing technique which stops a massive collapsing like a custard slice when you sit on the edge. Unusually, you can pick how firm you want this mattress when you order it, ranging from 'gentle' (presumably a synonym for soft) through to very firm. The general rule is that heavier people need a firmer mattress than lighter people. Harrisons Spinks average score on TrustPilot was 3.3/5 when we checked. |
The Harrison Spinks mattress comes in several firmness options
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Need Emperor sized bedding? Try Amazon or Soak & Sleep
2. Soak & Sleep Wool 2000 Pocket Sprung Emperor Mattress (200cm x 200cm) - firm tension - £600
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This Wool 2000 mattress is one of the cheaper Emperor sized mattresses we've managed to find but it's certainly worth considering.
It's sold by retailer Soak & Sleep which get great reviews on Trustpilot and it has a decent specification if you're after a pocket sprung mattress, which is what most of us sleep on. It's got 2000 pocket springs and it's a firm mattresses which means that it is ideal for a heavier person. There's no industry agreement on what 'soft' 'medium' or 'firm' actually means, but a high spring count offers a greater level of support which is more important for heavier people. It comes with a 5 year guarantee. |
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3. Vispring Elite 1326 Pocket Spring Emperor Mattress (200cm x 200cm or 215cm x 215cm) - soft, medium or firm - £2230/£2520
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Let's have a respectful round of applause for Vispring, which invented the pocket sprung mattress more than a century ago. They've remained one of the poshest and most respected brands in the mattress market with some models costing more than my car (check out the £6000+ options at John Lewis & Partners).
They've won best mattress brand from Which? several times and are so confident in their own quality that this mattress comes with a 30 year guarantee. The Vispring Elite is one of their cheapest but it's still got several signs of quality including something called 'hand side stitching' which stops the sides being too squishy, and a decent spring count. It's classed as a 1326 pocket spring mattress, which is within what most mattress experts consider the normal range for a good quality mattress (1000-2000 springs is the usual range, but you only really need 2000 springs if you are very heavy). |
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Just to add further confusion, the 1326 number refers to how many springs you get on a king size mattress so there are actually more than that (are you keeping up?).
You should turn this one 'with the seasons'. As before, bear in mind that this is a heavy mattress which weighs 75 kilos in super king (more than 12 stone) and even more in emporer. Please don't put your back out whilst trying to turn it over...
This model doesn't come with a divan base. If you want an emperor Vispring mattress with an emperor sized divan base, there's a good choice at And So To Bed which range from about £4000 to (take a deep breath) £42,000.
You should turn this one 'with the seasons'. As before, bear in mind that this is a heavy mattress which weighs 75 kilos in super king (more than 12 stone) and even more in emporer. Please don't put your back out whilst trying to turn it over...
This model doesn't come with a divan base. If you want an emperor Vispring mattress with an emperor sized divan base, there's a good choice at And So To Bed which range from about £4000 to (take a deep breath) £42,000.
4. John Lewis & Partners The Ultimate Collection Goat Angora Emperor Pocket Spring Mattress (210cm x 210cm) - medium firmness, £7200
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Alright, alright, calm down. I realise £7000+ is an eye-watering amount of money to spend on a mattress but I've included it to give you an idea of what you get when you pay top prices (well, actually the top priced mattress in this collection is £18,000...).
John Lewis & Partners Ultimate Collection is made by a British mattress company called Harrison Spinks. They're one of the top brands and were named best manufacturer at the National Bed Federation Awards in 2014 and 2017 and they were a runner up in 2018. It includes a staggering 24,000 springs in the king size model (or more than 33,000 in the emperor model) although it's important to realise that this means there are several layers of (mostly small) springs rather than loads of springs on one layer. Besides the huge spring count, the main thing you are paying for is the impressive number of natural materials it uses which include 'Horse hair, Egyptian cotton, British fleece wool, Yorkshire wool, Goat angora, Silk, Cashmere (and) Tree silk'. With that in mind, I would say this isn't a good choice for people who suffer with allergies as natural materials tend to gather dust more than foam mattresses. This massive list of natural materials also makes it the heaviest mattress I've ever seen at 129kg. That's more than 20 stone so keep that in mind as you need to turn it over 'with the seasons'. Perhaps they assume people with enough money to buy this mattress can also afford to hire a forklift truck or a local rugby team. It comes with a 7 year guarantee. |
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5. Hypnos Ortho Silver Deluxe Emperor Divan Bed (215cm x 215cm) - firm or extra firm - £2149
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Hypnos make mattresses for the British Royal Family, so they are obviously at the posher end of the market. But this Ortho Silver Deluxe isn't actually as pricey as you might imagine when you consider the decent specification and the fact that this includes a divan base rather than just the mattress.
It's available in firm or very firm tensions, which is generally recommended for heavier people. The theory is that you should sink into a mattress enough so that you have a nice straight spine. 5 foot tall catwalk models won't sink in enough on a firm mattress. As you'd expect, it uses pocket springs, which is the posher way to make a sprung mattress. Open coil mattresses are the cheaper alternative which you'll find on a £100 mattress or at your grandma's house. |
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Other signs of quality include 'hand side stitching'. We're now veering into levels of mattress talk that could send a toddler to sleep but the gist of it is that the sides of the mattress are strong because of the way it has been constructed by hand.
This mattress needs to be flipped over. I would usually see this as a definite plus point as it can help a mattress last longer and not start to sag with old age (don't we all). However, it's worth considering that this is a huge mattress so you might need to ask the local rugby team to pop round to turn it over.
The definite advantage with this one is that it comes with a divan base, as it saves the hassle of searching around for a base which will actually fit your new mattress.
This model comes with a 10 year guarantee.
This mattress needs to be flipped over. I would usually see this as a definite plus point as it can help a mattress last longer and not start to sag with old age (don't we all). However, it's worth considering that this is a huge mattress so you might need to ask the local rugby team to pop round to turn it over.
The definite advantage with this one is that it comes with a divan base, as it saves the hassle of searching around for a base which will actually fit your new mattress.
This model comes with a 10 year guarantee.
Best places to buy bedsteads, bed frames and divan bases for an emperor mattress
Some online mattress retailers sell emperor sized mattresses with a divan base included (e.g. Land of Beds sell Hypnos, Vispring and Relyon). However, if you just want a bedstead (also called a bed frame) or a divan base then your options include:
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Alternatively, you might go for a mattress which comes with a base. The obvious advantages are that you only have one delivery to deal with and you can be confident the mattress and base will actually be the same size.
Frequently asked questions about emperor mattresses and bed sizes
What is an emperor size bed?
The most common sizes for emperor size beds are 215cm x 215cm (approximately 7 foot x 7 foot) or 200cm x 200cm (approximately 6 foot 5 inches). There is some variation in what a mattress company means when they say 'emperor' and in some cases they offer a 'large emperor' and a standard 'emperor' mattress.
Which is the biggest bed you can buy? Is there a larger mattress than a king? Is super king the biggest bed?
The biggest bed you can buy is an emperor bed which is even bigger than a super king size. A typical UK super king size mattress is 180cm wide and 200cm from top to bottom. Most emperor beds are 215cm x 215cm (approximately 7 foot x 7 foot) although some 200cm x 200cm mattresses and beds are also referred to as emperor beds.
You could, in theory create a larger bed by getting two zip and link mattresses and zipping them together but you would struggle to find a base which would be large enough for the bed.
You could, in theory create a larger bed by getting two zip and link mattresses and zipping them together but you would struggle to find a base which would be large enough for the bed.
